As Time Falls Away
by Doom Master 1990
Summary: It's an average day in Bikini Bottom for SpongeBob. After a little while of watching T.V. with Gary, he decides to go see his best friend Patrick. After hanging out with Sand and Patrick for a while, Patrick returns home. Sandy, however, asks an unusual favor of SpongeBob. What's in store for the sponge? He may know soon enough. Update: A sequel may be on the way! :)
1. As Time Falls Away (Chapter 1)

As Time Falls Away

By: Doom Master 1990

Chapter 1:

It was a beautiful sunny day in Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob was in his pineapple watching some television with Gary.

Gary had begun meowing, letting SpongeBob know it was time for him to be fed.

"Meow".

"Oh? Is it that time already? Come on Gary, let's see what we have for you in the kitchen."

SpongeBob and Gary go into the kitchen, and SpongeBob opens the cupboard to find a can of snail food. After opening it, he pours it in Gary's bowl.

A few hours later, SpongeBob goes to visit Patrick, who is sitting in his chair.

"Hi SpongeBob!" Patrick says in an excited voice.

"Hey Patrick! What're you doing?"

"You know, just relaxing and thinking about ice cream."

"Do you want to go get some?"

"Oh boy, do I!"

"Come on, let's go."

"Okay".

Patrick and SpongeBob walk to town to find the Ice cream man. Upon arriving in town, they spot Sandy and walk towards her.

"Hey Sandy!" says SpongeBob.

"Howdy SpongeBob and Patrick!"

"Ice cream!"

"We're looking for the ice cream man."

"I was just thinkin' of gettin' some ice cream myself."

"Let's all go get some together!"

"Alright. Let's go ya'll."

"Yay, ice cream!"

After a little while of searching, the trio eventually spots the ice cream man.

"Hi there, what can I get for you kids?"

"I'll have the chocolate chunky delight." Replies Patrick.

"I'll have the algae bar." says Sandy.

"I'll take one kelp pop please." answers SpongeBob.

"Here you go. Have a nice day!"

"Thanks Mr. Ice cream man!" says SpongeBob.

SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy stroll through the town eating their ice cream and talking.

"So, what have you fellas been up to?"

"I was relaxing under my rock when SpongeBob came to get me for ice cream." Replied Patrick.

"Before I went to see Patrick, I was watching T.V. with Gary." Said SpongeBob.

"Not much goin' on with guys then, huh?"

"Not particularly." Answered SpongeBob.

Patrick continued eating his ice cream.

"Well, while we're in town, we may as well do some shopping. I need to pick up some more snail food for Gary."

"Mm. Snail food."

Sandy stares at Patrick for a brief moment, as was usual when he stated something unorthodox. She then turns to SpongeBob.

"Sure. I might find somethin' to use for an invention."

They walk to the first store.

"Ooh, very fashionable décor." States SpongeBob.

Patrick walks to the fruit section and spots a shelf full of apples.

"Red bouncy balls! Ha-ha!"

Patrick proceeds to throw an apple on the ground.

"Come on. Bounce up."

The apple does not move. Patrick crosses his arms and gives a frustrated look.

"Stupid ball."

Meanwhile, Sandy goes to check out the hardware section.

"Hm, not the biggest selection to choose from, but maybe I'll find somethin' I can use."

SpongeBob is in the pet food section.

"Let's see."

After taking a few more steps, he finds the snail food.

"Ah, here it is!"

SpongeBob takes a box of Snail food. A little later, the three meet up in the middle of the store, ready to make their purchases.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Asks SpongeBob.

"Yep." Replies Sandy.

"Check out this red ball I got." Says Patrick.

"That's an apple Patrick." Responds Sandy.

"Oooooooh. So that's why it wouldn't bounce back!"

Sandy sighs.

"Alright gang, let's head out." Says SpongeBob.

A few hours later, they finish their shopping.

"I'll see you guys later. I'm going home to play with my new ball!"

Patrick presents a bowling ball.

"Okay Pat. See you later."

"Wee!"

Patrick runs off.

"Well, I'd better get home and feed Gary."

SpongeBob starts walking.

"Wait, SpongeBob."

SpongeBob stops dead in his tracks, confused as to why Sandy had asked him to wait.

"Will you walk home with me first?"

SpongeBob was even more surprised and confused. Usually, in the rare cases he had gone shopping with Sandy, she had never asked him to walk home with her afterwards. It didn't make any sense to him why she would ask him now. SpongeBob gave it some thought and decided he could wait for a few extra minutes to feed Gary. He was never one say no to a friend, after all.

"Okay." SpongeBob replied.

Sandy smiled. SpongeBob just couldn't figure out why her behavior was so strange.

They begin walking in the direction of Sandy's house.

To Be Continued…


	2. As Time Falls Away (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2

Sandy and SpongeBob were walking through the dusk. SpongeBob was lost in thought. Why had Sandy suddenly asked him to walk home with her? She was more than capable of defending herself against nighttime crooks, and SpongeBob was nowhere as good as her. It was just so strange to him. It had never happened before.

"It's a beautiful night out tonight. Don't you think so SpongeBob?"

SpongeBob, who was lost in thought, was surprised by the broken silence.

"Huh?"

"The stars are so beautiful."

Of course, SpongeBob had noticed nature's beauty before, but it was unlike Sandy to look at nature for its beauty rather than for scientific reasons.

"They sure are." SpongeBob Replied.

"I don't usually leave my tree dome much except to hang out with you at goo lagoon and maybe a visit to the Krusty Krab every once in a while."

SpongeBob realized she was right. He had never given it much thought. He wondered why that was the case.

"Why is that Sandy?"

"I don't know. I never really saw any point I guess".

"Why did you ask me to walk home with you?"

Sandy recognized that it was the first time she had ever asked SpongeBob to do that. Wanting to keep her true emotions hidden, she thought up a lie she found believable to herself. She knew SpongeBob's gullibility, so she was certain he wouldn't catch on.

"Oh, I don't know. I just had an urge to ask."

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, it's getting' dark. Don't you have to get home to Gary?"

"Yeah, he can get a bit impatient if I leave him without dinner for too long."

"Yeah." Sandy responded.

SpongeBob turns to leave, but turns back again to wave.

"See you later Sandy."

"See ya' later little square dude."

As SpongeBob walks off, Sandy watches with a smile on her face. She goes into her tree dome and looks up through the glass ceiling. She begins contemplating her personal feelings.

"SpongeBob…I wish it wasn't so hard to tell you the things I want to say."

Sandy looks down at her hands and clenches her fists in a gentle manner, her expression, one of deep emotion. After a brief moment, she looks up at the ceiling again.

"I've known you for a long time now. I feel like I've grown attached to you in a way I never expected. I wish I had the courage to tell you…"

The Next Day…

SpongeBob is walking to work with Squidward, but, unlike his usually cheery self, he's completely quiet and lost in deep thought. Squidward is absolutely stunned by this. He was so curious as to what SpongeBob was thinking that HE broke the silence.

"SpongeBob?"

SpongeBob is surprised to hear an external voice.

"Huh?"

"SpongeBob, are you alright?"

"I'm not sure."

"What's the matter?"

"I have a strange feeling that someone wants to tell me something. I don't know if it's good or bad, but it's been making my stomach feel strange, and my chest feels kind of heavy."

SpongeBob and Squidward walk into the Krusty Krab.

"Good morning boys!"

"Good morning Mr. Krabs."

Squidward is now lost in thought himself, and doesn't respond. SpongeBob goes to the Kitchen.

"Mr. Squidward?"

Squidward snaps out of it.

"Huh?"

"Is everything okay? Something seems different about you two today."

"I think SpongeBob might be sick Mr. Krabs."

"Sick? What do ya' mean?"

"He said his stomach feels strange and his chest feels heavy."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He said it also feels like someone wants to tell him something."

Mr. Krabs responds with the utmost surprise and shock.

"It couldn't be!"

Squidward is taken aback by this shocked reply, and flies into a panic, thinking SpongeBob has contracted a serious disease that he would spread around the Krusty Krab.

"What is it Mr. Krabs!?"

Mr. Krabs motions for Squidward to hold his head close. Squidward complies, and Mr. Krabs speaks into his ear quietly.

"The lad's found a special someone, but he isn't aware of it yet, or who it could be."

"Special someone?"

"Aye, a person who has a deep love for him."

"You mean a secret admirer?"

"Something like that, but it seems they haven't said anything to him yet."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I've seen this before. There's no mistakin' it."

Squidward grimaces.

"Who would fall in love with SpongeBob? It's ridiculous."

"You should never underestimate the inhabitants of the seas Mr. Squidward. You'd be surprised by the things that can happen."

Squidward stares at the window between the kitchen and the register.

Meanwhile, Sandy is in her tree dome thinking out loud.

"I think I'm gonna' go to the Krusty Krab. I need a bite to eat anyway, and I'll get to see SpongeBob."

Sandy walks out of her tree dome. While walking, she begins think to herself.

"(I wish I understood myself sometimes. Why do I like the critter so much? He's always been so oblivious to the trouble he causes until someone points it out to him. Maybe it's his willingness to learn from the people around him that I like, or maybe it's because we've been friends for so long. Whatever the case, overthinking it won't do much good. I just won't say anything about it for now, at least until I feel the time is right)."

Sandy continues her walk to the Krusty Krab.

To Be Continued…


	3. As Time Falls Away (Chapter 3) (The End)

Chapter 3

Sandy arrives at the Krusty Krab.

"Hey fellas!"

"Ahoy Sandy!"

Sandy walks up to the register.

"I'll have an original krabby patty."

Squidward takes Sandy's money and places it in the register.

"Hey Sandy!"

Sandy's heart starts to beat faster as she hears SpongeBob's voice. She stammers a little.

"H-hey SpongeBob."

"Are you okay Sandy?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"Here's your food."

Sandy tries to regain composure.

"Thanks."

She quickly takes the tray and sits at a table on the other side of the restaurant.

After closely examining Sandy's behavior and putting two and two together, Mr. Krabs' and Squidward's eyes widen. They look for a means to briefly slip away. Mr. Krabs goes into the kitchen.

"Uh, boyo, Squidward and I need to go out for a second. We'll be right back."

"Okay Mr. Krabs."

Mr. Krabs then leaves the kitchen and he and Squidward walk out of the Krust Krab.

"Mr. Krabs, have I lost my mind?"

"No lad. Sandy is the one. I didn't think it would be her either."

"Why would Sandy be in love with SpongeBob? He's almost completely brainless, and she's a professional scientist."

"There's an old saying Mr. Squidward; 'True love conquers all'."

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

"The most valuable sayings are the cheesiest ones. Even a hardened old crustacean like me can't deny their worth. Me own daughter Pearl is a testament to that. Like all families, we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we still love each other."

"So what happens now?"

"I guess we wait and see how things turn out for them."

Squidward and Mr. Krabs start walking back to the Krusty Krab.

A Few Days Later…

Sandy is pacing around her tree dome, thinking aloud.

"I can't take it anymore. I've got to talk to him. I have to tell him how I really feel…"

Sandy stops pacing and looks at the door. She sighs.

"I guess it's now or never. Hang on little square dude. I'm coming."

Sandy walks out of the tree dome and heads for SpongeBob's house. After a few minutes, she reaches her destination. She knocks on the door. SpongeBob answers.

"Hi Sandy! I didn't know you were coming over."

Sandy's heart races even faster than before.

"SpongeBob, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure! Come on in."

Sandy walks into the house. She takes a seat on the couch.

"I'll go make us some hot cocoa."

"Okay."

SpongeBob goes into the kitchen and returns a few minutes later with two steaming cups of cocoa. He takes a seat next to Sandy.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"SpongeBob, how long have we been friends?"

"Gosh, it's been awhile since we first met."

"Yeah…"

Sandy sips her cocoa.

"Why do you ask?"

Sandy finally confesses.

"Well…Over time, I started developing some things."

"Things…?"

"Some feelings SpongeBob. I've started having feelings for you."

SpongeBob went silent.

"I like you a lot SpongeBob. You're always there to help others, and your cheery personality makes people want to be around you, even if they don't want to admit it."

Everything went completely silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Sandy broke the silence.

"I'm sorry SpongeB-"

SpongeBob interrupted her.

"No Sandy. Don't apologize. Never apologize for making someone happy."

SpongeBob took her hand.

"Wh-"

"Sandy…I love you too."

Sandy went quiet, a look of unmistakable shock on her face.

"You told me we were going to be tight. Remember?"

Sandy indeed remembered. How could she forget the day she saved him from that clam?

"Yeah…I remember."

"You were the first girl to stand by me through thick and thin since my mom."

SpongeBob wrapped his arms around Sandy in a tight embrace.

"…Sandy?"

"Hm?"

"Will you stay by me forever?"

"Of course I will SpongeBob. I'd never leave someone I love behind."

Sandy returned SpongeBob's hug. For what seemed like more than an eternity of complete tranquility and serenity, they just sat there, letting everything fall away. It was time for them to embrace whatever future awaited them.

THE END…


	4. Author's Notes

Author's Notes

Hello. My name is Doom Master 1990. My pen name was inspired by various death doom metal bands from the early 1990s that I consider to be masters of the genre, such as Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Pyogenesis, Anathema, Katatonia, and As Serenity Fades.

I want to tell you a little bit about this first story I made, "As Time Falls Away".

You see, I have recently been watching a lot of SpongeBob, be it for nostalgia or just to do something other than partake in more mature forms of media such as anime or horror movies/books.

I was getting ready for school one morning when I decided to turn on a little bit of music. I was in the mood for some death doom metal so I turned on some My Dying Bride and As Serenity Fades.

I came up with the concept of this story in the middle of class when I thought about mixing the written word in the romance genre with a more gothic atmosphere. Story's about everlasting love are part of what constitutes such an atmosphere, as they are very traditional. I would say my writing style combines modern language with traditional themes, at least some of the time, but that's just what I've gathered from the way I view my "work", and I use quotation marks because creating is a form of entertainment for me.

Anyway, all of a sudden, the fact that I'd been watching SpongeBob recently had snuck into mind. Being that I have a tendency to take childish things and apply various elements of gothic and metal styles to them, I had the idea to make a romance story about Sandy and SpongeBob with a sort of traditional gothic feeling to it. Ultimately though, it is up to the reader to say whether this goal was achieved or not.

That about wraps up all I wanted to say.

Thanks for taking the time to actually read the stuff I put out. I appreciate each and every person who takes time out of their busy day to read my stuff.

Thanks a lot.


End file.
